Paying $14 for an Airport Beer? Colorado Might Just Make That Illegal.

The Bottom Line

Ever felt ripped off buying a bottle of water at a concert, a sandwich at the airport, or groceries on a delivery app? This bill tries to stop that by forcing delivery platforms to show you their hidden item markups and banning vendors at stadiums, airports, and hospitals from charging more than the local county average. It’s a massive swing at ending "captive consumer" price gouging, but it could severely impact revenue for the venues that host these events.

What This Bill Actually Does

The legislation targets two specific modern pricing frustrations: hidden markups on delivery apps and sky-high prices at enclosed venues.

First, the bill amends consumer protection laws regarding delivery service platforms like DoorDash, UberEats, and even local grocery stores running their own delivery apps. Right now, platforms have to show you their basic delivery and service fees. But this bill forces them to expose the quiet markups baked into the items themselves. Before you complete a transaction, the app must display a clear, side-by-side comparison of the on-app price versus the in-store price for every single good you are purchasing, stripping away the illusion of "free delivery" by showing the exact premium you're paying per item.

The heavier hammer in this bill is the creation of a new protected class: the captive consumer. The legislation defines this as a customer stuck in a location where they have zero alternative options to buy food, drinks, or other ancillary goods. It specifically lists five locations where this applies: airports, hospitals and emergency rooms, indoor event venues with a seating capacity of 2,000 or more, outdoor festivals expecting over 2,000 attendees, and correctional facilities.

Under the proposed rules, charging a captive consumer more than the average price for a comparable good sold elsewhere in that same county is automatically presumed to be an unfair or deceptive trade practice. If a stadium charges $14 for a beer that averages $4 at local county bars, they are in violation. Vendors can fight the charge, but the burden of proof falls entirely on them to show the Attorney General or the courts that their higher prices aren't "unreasonably excessive" due to overhead or operating costs.

What It Means for You

If you regularly fly out of Denver International Airport, catch concerts at Red Rocks, or hit up summer festivals, this legislation represents a direct attempt to protect your wallet from the "convenience tax" of being inside a secure perimeter.

• Real-world price drops: For years, paying double or triple the normal price for basic food and drinks has just been the accepted cost of entry at events. By legally pegging venue prices to the local county average, this bill aims to bring those wildly inflated prices back down to earth. If vendors cross the line, they risk fines of up to $20,000 per violation.
• Relief in emergencies: The inclusion of hospitals and emergency rooms is particularly impactful. If you're stuck in an ER waiting room with a sick family member, you are the definition of a captive consumer. This bill ensures you aren't paying a massive premium for a cafeteria sandwich or a bottle of water just because you can't easily leave the premises.
• Delivery transparency: On a day-to-day basis, the changes to delivery apps will alter how you shop for dinner. If you've ever suspected that a $4 box of cereal was quietly marked up to $5.50 on a delivery app—before the actual delivery fees are even applied—this bill forces platforms to put those two prices side-by-side on your checkout page. You get to see the exact dollar amount of the convenience tax you're paying for that specific order.

However, you should also be prepared for the ripple effects. Venue operators often rely on a cut of high concession sales to fund operations or facility upgrades. If food and drink profit margins plummet to match local county averages, there is a very real possibility venues will recoup those losses by raising ticket prices or parking fees. You might save money at the concession stand but end up paying it at the box office.

What It Means for Your Business

If you operate in the hospitality, events, or tech space, this bill fundamentally rewrites your pricing strategy and compliance requirements.

• Concessionaires and Food Trucks: If you sell food or goods inside an airport, a hospital, or an event space that holds more than 2,000 individuals, your current pricing model is at risk. Because charging more than the local county average is automatically presumed to be a deceptive trade practice, you will need to actively track off-site market averages for the items you sell. If your venue is in Denver County, your stadium hot dog prices will be legally compared against everyday Denver County restaurant prices.
• A heavy burden of proof: If your prices do exceed the local average, the legal burden flips entirely onto you. You must maintain airtight financial records demonstrating exactly why your prices are higher—whether that's due to massive venue revenue-sharing cuts, mandatory union labor, or high-security clearances for staff. You have to be prepared to prove to the Attorney General that your prices aren't "unreasonably excessive." Because the state can levy fines up to $20,000 per violation, operating without documented justification for your margins is incredibly risky.
• Venue Operators and Tech Startups: If you run an event venue or outdoor festival expecting more than 2,000 attendees, you need to review your vendor contracts immediately. While the vendors face the primary legal liability, your revenue-sharing agreements will take a massive hit as their gross margins shrink. Meanwhile, if you operate an independent grocery store or a delivery platform, you must update your software to support real-time price-comparison displays. Your backend systems will need the capability to link point-of-sale in-store pricing directly to your online shopping cart so consumers see the exact markup before they pay.

Follow the Money

The state's nonpartisan fiscal note highlights a fascinating ripple effect: cracking down on price gouging will actually cost the state and local governments a significant amount of money.

State agencies—like universities, the Colorado State Fair, and the Department of Corrections—along with city-owned airports and event venues, rely heavily on vendor fees and revenue-sharing agreements to balance their budgets. The fiscal analysts estimate that if concession revenues simply dropped by 10% to come closer to local market averages, it would cost the University of Colorado $900,000, Colorado State University $250,000, and the State Fair over $120,000. Local governments operating places like Red Rocks or regional airports would face similar, steep revenue declines.

Additionally, capping prices at these venues lowers the total gross sales subject to sales tax, causing an indeterminate but real hit to both state and local tax revenue. On the flip side, the state might see a bump in revenue from civil penalties if the Attorney General begins cracking down on deceptive trade practices, with fines funneling into damage awards. The Department of Law and the courts would also require some marginal resources to handle the new rules and the inevitable legal battles from vendors fighting to protect their margins.

Where This Bill Stands

HB26-1012 is currently Dead. The latest official action came on 03/03/2026: House Committee on Judiciary Postpone Indefinitely.

That means the bill is no longer advancing this session. In practice, measures that are postponed indefinitely or otherwise declared lost generally stay dead unless they are reintroduced in a future session.